Chaco Canyon Supernova Panel
Ancestral Pueblo painting, Chaco Canyon, New Mexico
On July 4, A.D. 1054, inhabitants of earth saw a bright object in the sky, easily visible in daytime - the supernova that created the Crab Nebula. The moon was a small crescent. Some think the Ancient Pueblo people in Chaco Canyon recorded the supernova event with this rock art panel. In the spring of 1066, twelve years after the supernova, Halley's comet appeared. That event may be depicted lower on the panel with the circles and very faded paint trailing off to one side like a comet’s tail.